Purpose
The study aims at identifying the main concerns affecting quality of life (QOL) in adult strabismus patients in Egypt.
Patients and methods
Seventy adults with strabismus, 20 with diplopia and 50 without the disease were recruited. Individual interviews, using 11 open-ended questions, were audiotaped, transcribed, and transcripts reviewed. Phrases regarding how strabismus affected everyday life were grouped into topic areas and the frequency of each topic analyzed for patients with and without diplopia.
Results
With self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, and social anxiety was not surprising based on previous studies of the psychosocial effects of strabismus in adults. Nevertheless, some concerns identified in this study were more unexpected, for example appearance in photos, education, marriage, and no treatment for squint. Other concerns in this study were unexpected as most of the patients did not express these problems, for example, in-depth perception, driving, and sports.
Conclusion
Multiple individual interviews have shown many topics which negatively affect the QOL in strabismic adults. The frequency and type of concerns confirm the importance of health-related QOL assessment as an important aspect of strabismus management.